Railway-signal.



PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

W'. J. GUSTAN.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV 21 1905 A A A WILLIAM J. GUSTIN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1907.

Application sied November 21,1905. serial No. 288,446.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I., WILLIAM J. Gus/HN, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county ol Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals, ol' which the `following is a specilication.

The invention relates to an improvement in railway signals and particularly to the block signal adapte-d to be automatically and successively operated during the passage ol' a train.

The main object ol the present invention is the provision of means whereby the train during its travel will automatically operate the signal immediately in front ol it and the signal immediately beyond it, so that the engineer of any particular train will be duly advised as to the presence ol the train ahead of him at such a distance as to be enabled to control the movement of h is own train.

The invention will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan illustrating the application of my invention, Fig. 2 a side elevation of a portion of the same, Fig. 3 a plan similar to Fig. l showing a portion ot the signals operated, Fig. 4 a plan illustrating the application ot' the invention to a crossing gate, Fig. 5

is an enlarged sectional detail illustrating one of thev levers and signal connections. i

Roter-ring to the drawings my invention in its prel'erred form is primarily adapted for the straight block system, being illustrated particularly in Fig. l, 2 and 3. In said ligures the signals l are shown as mounted at determinate distances, as for example each hall mile along side ol one ol' the rails of the track 2. The signals l may be of any preferred type though `preferably having a revoluble standard 3 provided at the upper end with the usual semaphore or other signal proper.

Adjacent each of the signals, preferably slightly in rear thereof relative to the direction of travel of the train is arranged the operating mechanism comprising a lever 4 pivotally supported adjacent the track and having its upper tree end 5 curved in the direction ol travel of the train. The lower end of the lever is connected with the terminals ot two flexible cables G and 7, the lormer passing around idlers 8 and 9 extending in a suitably arranged conduit l0 directly to the signal l located at the half block, or as noted above a hall mile in advance of the lever, the connection ot this cable being such that when the free end of the lever 5 is depressed, as hereinafter described, the signal l in front of and connected therewith is set at closed track. The cable 7 extends about an idler ll and within the conduit l0 inV a direction opposite to that ol the cable 6 and is connected to the signal one-hall mile or a hall block in rear oi the particular lever being operated, the latter connection being such that when said lever is depressed said signal holding the second train in rear is set at clear track.

It is to be understood that the levers 5 are arranged adjacent each of the signals, and that as described each lever when operated serves to close the signal a halt mile in rear oi its position and open the signal a hall mile in front of it, each lever thereby controls two signals, so that as the train advances and operates the successive levers the signals in advance of the train are being continually and successively opened, while those in rear of the train are being continually and successively closed. The automatic operation occurring a half mile distant from the respective signals so that the track in rear of the train is closed against a second train until the iirst train is at least a half mile beyond the particular signal.

It will be noted that a block includes three signals, two end signals and a center signal, the blocks overlapping so that each signal forms the end of a block and also the center oi a block, as will be obvious. The operating levers are arranged adjacent each signal, but are adapted to actuate only two signals forming the ends of that particular block in which the lever is centrally arranged. j

The lever is actuated by a suitable laterally projecting' arm l2 carried on the engine and adapted to Contact with the lever above its pivot and serving to operate-the lever to effectuate the operation described. It is, of course, understood that the operation of one lever to open the signal in rear will move the rearward lever connected with that signal to upright or normal position ready tor operation by a succeeding train.

In Fig. 4 the invention is shown as applied to`a crossing gate I3, a signal cable I4 projecting from the lever 5 arranged beyond the gate toward the approaching train being so connected to the pivot post l5 of the gate as to move said gate to closed position upon contact of the arm l2 of the engine with the lever 5. A second lever 5 is arranged beyond the gate in the direction of travel with a cable I6 so connected to the gate that on a depression of said second lever 5 the gate will be moved to open position, this movement o the gate drawing upon the lever 14 and restoring the lever 5 connected therewith to its normal position.

Referring particularly to Figs. l, 2 and 3 of the drawings, wherein is shown a series of levers A, B, C, D and E and a series of signals F, G, and II, respectively connected in a manner previously described, the operation of my improved signal operating device is as follows: It will be noted that the cable 7 leading from any particular lever to the signal in rear ol said levers is of such a length that when the lever is in normal or elevated position and the signal in inoperative or clear position, a certain degree of looseness or slack is afforded in any such cable. I will assume a train entering the track on Fig. l and engaging the lever A. Disregarding the effect of said lever upon the signals in rear of it, the movement of the lever in the passing of the train will exert a pull upon the cable 6. This will swing the signal F to danger position, and the movement of said signal F will take up the slack in cable 7 leading to lever C. The train now advancing and engaginglever B will exert a pull upon the cable 6 leading to the signal G in advance of said lever, at the same time effecting rearward signals in a manner which will be presently explained. The movement of signal G to danger position will take up the slack in cable 7 leading to the lever D in advance of said signal G. The train still advancing and engaging lever C will cause said lever to exert a pull upon and set signal H, at the same time taking up slack in cable 7 leading from the signal to lever E. As the reverse connections from lever C are clearly shown I will. describe the rearward effect of the movement of said lever, it being understood, of course, that a similar rearward effect is due to the 0peration of each lever. Upon the movement of lever C, therefore, the signal I-I is set to danger position by the pull upon the cable 6, while at the same time the pull upon the cable 7 leading from said lever G restores the signal F to normal or clear position. This movementof the signal F will, of course, reset the lever A to normal or elevated position through pull upon the cable 6 leading to said lever. This resetting movement of the lever A due to the operation of the lever C re-establishes the normal slack in the cable 7 leading from said lever A. This operation is continued throughout in the travel of the train, the operation of each lever affecting the signals directly in advance and in rear of it but not effecting the signal directly adjacent to it. The operation of the signals so affected also causes a resetting to normal position of the lever directly connected to such rearward signal, and the taking up of the slack in the cable leading from said forward signal. to the lever connected thereto in advance thereof. Each lever, therefore, resets the second lever in rear thereof, resets the signal directly in rear thereof, and sets to danger position the signal in advance thereof, the moyement of this signal being without effect upon the lever in advance of such signal owing to the normal slack provided in the connecting cable.

In the signal operating device described it is apparent that various signals throughout the length of the track are automatically and successively operated by the travel of the train, and that it is, therefore, impossible for a second train to approach any nearer than a This being understood predetermineddistance to the preceding train without being warned of the presence of said train.

The device in its essential parts is exceedingly simple, requiring aside from the usual or preferred form of switch and stand only an operating lever or a series thereof and a sufficient length of cable, preferably chain, to connect the parts.

As constructed the device will require practically no attention and its few working parts guard against probability of disarrangement.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new, isz- 1. A signaling device comprising a series of signals, a signal operating device arranged adjacent each of the signals and connected solely with the signals in advance and in rear of that signal adjacent which said device is positioned, the rear connection being of a length to permit operation of the rear signal Without affecting the signal operating device connected thereto and in advance thereof.

2. A signaling device comprising a series of signals arranged at determinate points lengthwise of the track, a single signal operating device arranged adjacent each signal and adapted in operation to actuate the signals in front and rear of said device, the connection'between the operating device and rear signal being of such length as to permit op'- eration of said signal by the device arranged inrear thereof without affecting the device in advance of that signal.

3. A signaling device comprising a plurality of signals arranged at determinate points and' normally at clear, a signal operating device arranged adjacent each signal and connected solely to the signals in front of and in rear of the signal adjacent which the device is positioned, the operation of a particular signal operating device serving to operate the respective signals connected thereto in reverse directions, said rearward signal being normally free from the iniiuence of the operating device in advance thereof.

l. A signaling device comprising a plurality of signals arranged at determinate points and normally at clear, a signal operating device arranged adjacent each signal and connected solely to the signals in front of and in rear of the signal adjacent which the'device is positioned, the operation of a particular signal operating device serving to operate the respective signals connected thereto in reverse directions, said rearward signal being normally free from the influence o1 the 'operating device in advance thereof, the operation of said rear signal by the device in rear of that signal serving to dispose said signal within the influence of the operating device in advance of that signal.

5. A signaling device comprising a series of signals arranged at determinatev points lengthwise of the track, a signal operatingdevice arranged adjacent each signal and directly connected to the signals in front and in rear of the signal adjacent which said device is positioned, the connection between the device and rear signal including an excess length of connection to provide for a movement of the rear signal under the influence of an operating device in rear of that signal without affecting the operating device in advance of that signal.

ln testimony whereof, I atx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. GUSTIN.

Witnesses z HowAnD M. STANToN, LOUISE I-IAYNEs. 

